Feathered Stars
by Shiroi Iyasu
Summary: Gift fic for Shikigami's Tales of Persona. 'The Magician represents a strong and unwavering will, able to remain clear during times of doubt. He is blessed with a fierce determination and idealistic hopes.'


Here ya go Shiki~ A Social Link fic of the Magician - which means Lloyd!

It can take place anywhere after Chapter Six, preferrably after a point where our favorite brunet twin-swordsman says that he was adopted and raised by a Dwarf.

* * *

Orpheus sat in his room, looking out the window with an idle stare as fingers quietly strummed the metallic lyre, reflecting the far-off look in his blood red eyes. Mormo had gone off with Reid to the Tavern, leaving him alone to reflect with a slow peace. The past few days since he had 'awakened' weren't much, yet they held memories that he strange wanted to hold. To keep close to his heart as important treasures.

Heart. Memories. Treasures.

_This is what Minato must have felt after the battle with Nyx_.

He closed his eyes, a sigh leaving him as he turned to the door. Faintly, he could hear light steps outside, moving around in a pace that seemed to say the owner was somewhat anxious. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, but he had a good guess.

"You can come in. The door's unlocked," he called. The pacing stopped and slowly, the door opened. Lloyd stood there, a small look of confusion and embarrassment on his face as he entered the room, closing the door nosily behind him. It nearly made him cringe. "How'd you know?"

The musician paused to think for a reply. "...I could hear you." Quickly, he moved off that topic. "Is there something you need, Lloyd?"

"Ah... uh, yeah, I guess." The brunet looked down at him, though those rustic pair of eyes seemed to be focusing on the lyre weapon more than anything else. Orpheus didn't say anything, just watching carefully as the twin-swordsman was burning the details of the instrument-weapon into his memory banks. He had heard before from Genis that he wasn't exactly 'the smartest of the bunch', yet he seemed so... focused. His head tilted a little, the question flying out the moment it was constructed.

"Are you interested in my lyre?" That Luke person was. He still couldn't see what was strange about it. It was just a lyre.

Lloyd's gaze snapped up to him. "Huh? Uh, not exactly. I'm just looking at the details." He paused, once again turning to the weapon as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. The words flowed out, "I'm a blacksmith. I can carve, forge, refine, all that... though I like carving more. The wood's easier to shape and it doesn't take too long to make anything unless it's huge. The harp-thingy-"

Orpheus momentarily frowned, though it was hidden under his red scarf. _It's a lyre._

"-is kinda hard to make with the design, but you can still play it and use it a weapon. So... I just wanted to see it and all." He paused, looking straight at him. "It's... it's not weird, right?"

"...No, it isn't. You're just interested in something you consider probably a hobby. It's perfectly fine to me."

The brunet smiled. "Thanks. Most people thinks it's weird because only Dwarfs know how to do all that stuff. So, uh, can I see it?" The musician nodded silently, standing up and picking the lyre up by the sides and handing it to him. The moment he let go, shock passed through the red-clad boy as he had slight- no, make that _much_ difficulty in holding it up. Looking towards Orpheus, the question seemed to clearly make its way to the white-haired human.

"...Is it really that difficult?" he mumbled into his scarf, one hand holding up the right side. Lloyd still looked like he had a problem in carrying it to wherever he wanted to take his lyre.

He sighed. "Lloyd, why don't you take a look at it here?"

The twin-swordsman blinked. "Here? As in, your room? Is it alright?" He received a nod for that, and quickly put the instrument-weapon down onto the dark aqua carpet. Orpheus sat back at his chair, watching Lloyd take a deep breath.

"Man, this thing's so heavy! How do you even carry it around?"

To that, Orpheus had no answer. The brunet simply shrugged at his silence, already noting down the details and designs of the metallic instrument with a bright shine in his rustic brown eyes.

* * *

"Hey, Orpheus! Wake up! It's dinner time!"

Groggily, the musician woke, scarlet orbs half-closed, half-opened as he looked up to find Mormo sitting on the window sill, bright aqua eyes peering down at him with some urgency. He yawned, a hand rubbing his one exposed eye while the other stared down at the Yaoon Descender through white strands of hair. "Dinner...?"

"Yeah." Mormo flapped his tail wings, hovering into the air again. "Come on! Reid going to eat it all up if we don't hurry!"

As his senses cleared, he managed to nod. Looking around the room, he realised suddenly that a blanket had been covering him, the lyre leaning against the posts of the bed. Lloyd was nowhere to be seen, though that note sitting on the bed seemed to be a tell-tale clue about his whereabouts. Looking back at the flying... pet, animal,_ thing_, he stood up, pulling the blanket over onto the chair. "Mormo, could you go first? I have something to do."

The flying Descender looked confused, but didn't question anything as he flew out. "Well, hurry up then. I don't want you missing dinner! It's gonna be so delicious..."

Orpheus nearly rolled his eyes. _Nearly_.

He folded the green blanket, placing it on the bed and picked up the note. The words were hastily scribbled, as if in a hurry, though it was clearly evident it was Lloyd who wrote it.

_I finished checking out the harp-thingy._

"It's a lyre," the musician sighed.

_It's really detailed and stuff. The material is a mixture of iron for sturdiness and silver for the shine, I think, and the carving... it must be someone really good because I've never seen anything like that. The design is made so that you could play it while holding it easily. But it's pretty big and kinda heavy. _

_Oh yeah, you fell asleep once I was done. The window was open also, and it was pretty cold, so I put the blanket around you. I mean, you were shivering from all that wind. You should get a new blanket - Kratos thinks that we can't feel or something if he bought thin ones like that. I'd want to know how if he can't feel or something. I mean does he have special powers or something? _

_~Lloyd_

_PS - Uh... think you have time to go with me to the Foot of the World Tree tomorrow? It'd be nice to practice my skills with you._

Orpheus felt his lips twitch upward into a thin smile. Kratos certainly was inhuman. While he couldn't place what, there was definitely an air around the man that told he was different from most - and perhaps it made him dangerous if he could be. Still, he seemed to know what he was doing and had good intentions if he runs Ad Libitum. He folded the note and stuffed it into his pockets, walking out with a content expression.

* * *

Quickly, he made his way to the Inn, finding it packed with Ad Libitum members and the like. Arche and Lloyd waved to him, catching his attention immediately before he sat down at the seat they saved. Mormo was with Reid, already devouring plates of food nowhere close to the hunter's speed, but still fast enough to be considered odd. A few people were watching the two's little 'fight', either staring with a flat expression or looking amused. Some were making bets on who'd finishing eating first, though they were more to Reid than the Yaoon Descender. It was something to be expected, really.

"Where've you been today?" the Mage asked, a broad grin on her face. "You could have seen my new spell in action! It's so much better than Chester's lame arrows. I mean, they have to be flashy a little, don't you think?"

Orpheus only nodded, taking a bite of the bowl of curry served to him. It was tasty, certainly. Just spicy with a savory-like taste. The new slurping noises quickly made him stop that to look at Lloyd, who was finishing his bowl. A stray thought of how sloppy his table manners were had passed through, but was pushed out when Arche brought back his attention.

"So, what do you think I should call it? It makes this giant sword fall from the sky and sends lightning through the ground! It also makes a thunder-like sound when it does hit the ground." The musician didn't process that thought properly, the information entering at a pace too fast than normal (or it was just the Mage's quick talking speed). As such, his words came out a little mixed up. "Thunder sword?"

Her face lit up on hearing that. "Thunder sword, thunder sword... that's a good name! I'll call it _Thunder Sword_." She grinned. "Thanks, Orphy~!"

He almost gagged on his food. _O... __**Orphy?**_

"Hey, you alright there?"

He turned to the brunet, finding a somewhat concerned look on his face. The musician just nodded, drinking from his glass to clear out the strangely foul taste in his mouth. As he did so, he heard the deep voice who always spoke when a Social Link leveled up.

_"...I am thou, and thou art I..."_

_"...I shalt grant thou thy greater brilliance of the Star Arcana..."_

_"...Thy power of the Radiant Wonder shalt aid thou always within thy darkness..."_

"Hey, Orpheus, coming?"

The white-haired boy quickly nodded at Lloyd. He lowered his glass and replied, "Just a moment. Could you wait outside?" The brunet grinned, one of the many ways he learnt was a 'yes', and left the Inn. The musician pondered momentarily if he should bring Mormo, but decided to leave him be. Reid probably wouldn't be happy if his 'eating partner' was gone now. A quick exchange of good byes, and he hurryingly left the Inn, finding the twin-swordsman gazing up at the stars with pure look of comfort. On noticing him, he stopped and they started their way back.

The walk back was slow and quiet, the stars shining above them silently. There wasn't any conversation between the two for a while until they were a good distance away from the Inn.

"You know, my Dad - my real dad, not my Dwarf-dad - and I used to watch the stars late at night. We would spend a long time doing that every night." He chuckled softly, gazing up as his steps came to a quick halt. "Mom sometimes scolded him for keeping me up so late."

Orpheus stared at him. "...Where are your parents now?"

Even in the dark, those brownish-red eyes dimmed. "...Mom died when some people after this gem had caught up to her." He looked down at him, his right hand rising to show a deep blue stone, polished with much care and had some golden-brown object keeping it in place. "And my Dad... I don't really know. He had protected Mom since she got this, so he must have been strong enough to survive."

The white-haired boy quietly looked down, blood red eyes following the thin black lines between the cobblestones. "...I'm sorry."

"Heh, it's alright. Even if Mom's not here, she's in this gem, watching over me. And I'll find Dad one day. He's probably some really good swordsman!" Orpheus looked up at him, his lips twitching upwards a little. Very soon, they resumed walking back to the Guild. When they reached, Lloyd had paused by the door, turning back to the musician, another slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Uh, so... will you come with me tomorrow? You don't have to if you don't."

He thought about it. "...I'm sure I'll be free."

"Alright then! Is nine a good time?"

He nodded, ascending the few wooden steps to the door before he paused, staring straight at the twin-swordsman. "Just be sure to not be late. And try not to kill yourself while we're at the Foot." This earned a short, annoyed glare from the boy, shockingly close to resembling Kratos' looks of annoyance. It wouldn't be so surprising if Kratos was Lloyd's actual father. But the topic seemed... sensitive. For now, it was best to avoid it until the mercenary could be open to him.

Orpheus pulled the scarf over his mouth, hiding away his amused smirk and followed the brunet through the Guild doors, the deep voice echoing in his mind yet again tonight.

_"...I am thou, and thou art I..."_

_"...I shalt grant thou thy stronger determination of thy Magician Arcana..."_

_"...Thy power of Dreams shalt be unwavering within thine hand of focused will..."_

* * *

I _know_ it was only supposed to be the Magician Arcana, but when I came around to Arche, I _had_ to add that! I really did! It seemed to fit together so naturally.

And everyone gets a cookie for figuring out what Kratos is from Lloyd's note. That is, of course, you know who he is and all.

Review and no flames! Flames shall be destroyed by Kratos' _Judgment_!

~Shiroi


End file.
